Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror by R.L. Stine Page A

leave town today. Now.”
    â€œWhat about the girl?”
    â€œWe’ll take her along. As soon as we do the bank, we’ll get rid of her.”
    â€œGet rid of her now, Todd.” Britney’s voice was like ice.
    â€œThere are too many people close by. Even the old duffers in this building would hear a gunshot.”
    â€œHelp!” I yelled. I tried again to reach the door. “Help me!”
    Todd grabbed a dish towel and gagged me with it. I kicked at him. He held my hands behind my back while Britney cut the TV cord and used it to bind my hands.
    â€œWhat are you doing to Maud?” Mrs. Pameron asked.
    â€œIt’s a game, Aunt Martha. You’re going to play, too.” The man tied her hands to the chair back with the lamp cord.
    â€œI don’t like this game,” Mrs. Pameron said.
    Britney removed a wad of money from Mrs. Pameron’s bag.
    â€œThat’s my share,” Mrs. Pameron said. “You put that back!”
    Britney stuffed the cash in her purse.
    Todd put on a long black coat.
    â€œWhere are you going?” Mrs. Pameron asked.
    â€œTo your house,” he said.
    â€œI want to go, too,” she said.
    No, you don’t, I thought. And neither do I.
    Britney opened the door and peered into the hallway. “All clear,” she said.
    â€œI’m right behind you with the gun,” Todd told me, “so don’t try anything.”
    Please, I thought. Please, somebody see me! But the other apartment doors remained closed.
    We walked to a parked white car. Todd opened the back door, and I got in.
    â€œLie down,” Britney said.
    I did.
    Todd got in the front passenger’s seat, and she slid behind the wheel.
    I lay on my side, facing the front seat. I twisted my hands back and forth, back and forth, trying to loosen the cord. The movement soon chafed my wrists, but I kept trying.
    When the car stopped, Todd pulled a black ski mask over his face.
    â€œMaybe I should keep the gun,” Britney said, “to control the girl.”
    â€œI’m not going in there unarmed,” he said.
    Britney looked over her shoulder at me.
    I held still.
    â€œYou can always use your knife,” he said.
    They both looked out the window. “Now,” she said.
    He got out.
    She twisted in her seat, watching me. I lay motionless. I knew if she caught me trying to get my hands untied, she’d make sure it didn’t happen.
    Five minutes later, the front door opened and Todd leaped in. “Got it!” he said.
    Britney floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward. The tires squealed as she took a corner too fast. A horn honked.
    I twisted my hands frantically.
    â€œThere were only two customers,” Todd said as he removed the mask, “and they both dropped to the floor as soon as I told them to. The teller was terrified. When I showed her the note, she handed over a bag of bills.”
    Neither of them paid any attention to me. I squeezed my fingers together, making my hands as small as I could. The knot loosened slightly—just enough for me to free my hands.
    I slid my right hand into my pocket and opened my phone. I couldn’t call with a gag in my mouth, but I could send a text message. I found the center key with my index finger, then slid my finger to the left and pressed. I visualized the keyboard and typed help. Next I typed bnk rbr . Last, I typed mrs pam nefw.
    I pressed center again. I knew this brought up my list of phone numbers. Mom was first on the list, so I hit center again to send my message to her.
    I looked out the window, hoping to recognize a landmark so that I could tell Mom where I was. I saw only a stoplight.
    â€œStay green, baby. Stay green,” Todd said. We roared through the intersection. I kept watching. When I spotted the tips of two golden arches, I sent McD.
    Next I saw the red-and-white logo of the Target store, and texted trgt.
    â€œNobody behind us,” Todd said. “No